1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a radiation image read-out method and apparatus, wherein stimulating rays are irradiated to a stimulable phosphor sheet, on which a radiation image has been stored. Light, which is emitted by the stimulable phosphor sheet when: the stimulable phosphor sheet is exposed to the stimulating rays, is photoelectrically detected, and an image signal representing the radiation image is thereby obtained. This invention particularly relates to a radiation image read-out method and apparatus, wherein a radiation image is capable of being read out from a stimulable phosphor sheet, on which the radiation image has been stored with an image recording operation utilizing a stationary grid, such that adverse effects of grid patterns are eliminated
2. Description of the Related Art
Radiation image recording and reproducing systems utilizing a stimulable phosphor sheet, which comprises a substrate and a layer of a stimulable phosphor overlaid on the substrate, have heretofore been widely used in practice.
With the radiation image recording and reproducing systems, a stimulable phosphor sheet is exposed to radiation carrying image information of an object, such as a human body, and a radiation image of the object is thereby recorded on the stimulable phosphor sheet. Thereafter, stimulating rays, such as a laser beam, are caused to scan the stimulable phosphor sheet in two-dimensional directions. The stimulating rays cause an exposed area of the stimulable phosphor sheet to emit light in proportion to the amount of energy stored thereon during its exposure to the radiation. The light emitted from the exposed area of the stimulable phosphor sheet, upon stimulation thereof, is photoelectrically detected and converted into an electric image signal by photoelectric read-out means.
The image signal, which has been, obtained from the radiation image recording and reproducing systems described above, is then subjected to image processing, such as gradation processing and processing in the frequency domain, such that a visible radiation image can be obtained. In particular, the image has good image quality and can serve as an effective tool in the efficient and accurate diagnosis of an illness, for example. The image signal having been obtained from the image processing is utilized for reproducing a visible image for diagnosis, or the like, on film or displaying a visible image for diagnosis, or the like, on a cathode ray tube (CRT) display device. In cases where the stimulable phosphor sheet, from which the image signal has been detected, is then exposed to erasing light, and energy remaining on the stimulable phosphor sheet is thereby released, the erased stimulable phosphor sheet is capable of being used again for the recording of a radiation image.
Also, a radiation image recording and reproducing system aiming at enhancement of a detection quantum efficiency in the formation of the radiation image, i.e., a radiation absorptivity, a light emission efficiency, an emitted light pickup efficiency, and the like, wherein a certain type of stimulable phosphor sheet is utilized, has been proposed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application No. 11(1999)-372978. With this type of the stimulable phosphor sheet utilized in the proposed radiation image recording and reproducing system, the radiation absorbing functions and the energy storing functions of the conventional stimulable phosphor sheet are separated from each other.
The stimulable phosphor sheet utilized in the proposed radiation image recording and reproducing system contains a layer of a stimulable phosphor for energy storage, which is capable of absorbing light having wavelengths falling within an ultraviolet to visible region and thereby storing energy of the light having wavelengths falling within the ultraviolet to visible region, and which is capable of being stimulated by light having wavelengths falling within a visible to infrared region and thereby radiating out the stored energy as emitted light.
The stimulable phosphor sheet should preferably take on the form combined with a layer of a phosphor for radiation absorption, which is capable of absorbing radiation and being caused to emit light having wavelengths falling within an ultraviolet to visible region. In such cases, energy from the light having wavelengths falling within the ultraviolet to visible region, which light is emitted from the layer of the phosphor for radiation absorption when the layer of the phosphor for radiation absorption is exposed to the radiation carrying image information of an object, (the amount of the energy corresponding to the radiation image information) is stored on the layer of the stimulable phosphor for energy storage. When the stimulable phosphor sheet, on which the radiation image has thus been stored, is scanned with the stimulating rays, the light carrying the radiation image information is emitted from the layer of the stimulable phosphor for energy storage.
The stimulable phosphor sheet need not necessarily be provided with the layer of the phosphor for radiation absorption. In such cases, the stimulable phosphor sheet is utilized in combination with a fluorescent screen, which is provided with the layer of the phosphor for radiation absorption capable of absorbing radiation and being caused to emit the light having wavelengths falling within the ultraviolet to visible region.
Specifically, in such cases, the fluorescent screen is kept in close contact with the novel type of the stimulable phosphor sheet, and the radiation carrying the image information of the object is irradiated to the fluorescent screen. As a result, the light having wavelengths falling within the ultraviolet to visible region is emitted from the layer of the phosphor for radiation absorption of the fluorescent screen. Also, energy from the light emitted from the phosphor for radiation absorption (the amount of the energy corresponding to the radiation image information) is stored on the layer of the stimulable phosphor for energy storage of the stimulable phosphor sheet. When the stimulable phosphor sheet, on which the radiation image has thus been stored, is scanned with the stimulating rays, the light carrying the radiation image information is emitted from the layer of the stimulable phosphor for energy storage.
Radiation image read-out apparatuses for use in the radiation image recording and reproducing systems described above have been proposed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Nos. 60(1985)-111568, 60(1985)-236354, and 1(1989)-101540. In the proposed radiation image read-out apparatuses, from the point of view of keeping the emitted light detection time short, reducing the size of the apparatus, and keeping the cost low, a line sensor comprising a charge coupled device (CCD) image sensor, or the like, is utilized as the photoelectric read-out means.
Basically, the radiation image read-out apparatuses of such types comprise:
i) stimulating ray irradiating means for linearly irradiating stimulating rays onto an area of a stimulable phosphor sheet, on which a radiation image has been stored, the stimulating rays causing the stimulable phosphor sheet to emit light in proportion to an amount of energy stored thereon during its exposure to radiation,
ii) a line sensor; which comprises a plurality of photoelectric conversion devices arrayed along the linear area of the stimulable phosphor sheet exposed to the linear stimulating rays, and
iii) sub-scanning means for moving the stimulable phosphor sheet with respect to the stimulating ray irradiating means and the line sensor and in a direction (a sub-scanning direction) intersecting with a length direction of the linear area of the stimulable phosphor sheet exposed to the linear stimulating rays (a main scanning direction).
The stimulating ray irradiating means for linearly irradiating the stimulating rays onto the stimulable phosphor sheet in the manner described above may be constituted so as to produce fan beam-like stimulating rays. Alternatively, the stimulating ray irradiating means may be constituted so as to deflect a thin beam and to cause the deflected thin beam to linearly scan the stimulable phosphor sheet.
When the radiation image of the object is to be recorded on the stimulable phosphor sheet, the operation for recording the radiation image is often performed with a grid being located between the object and the stimulable phosphor sheet, such that the radiation, which has been scattered by the object, does not impinge upon the stimulable phosphor sheet. The grid comprises radiation absorbing members, which do not transmit the radiation and may be constituted of lead, or the like, and radiation transmitting members, which may be constituted of aluminum, wood, or the like. The radiation absorbing members and the radiation transmitting members are arrayed alternately at a fine pitch of, for example, several grid members per mm of length.
In cases where the image recording operation is performed by utilizing the grid described above, the radiation having been scattered by the object is prevented from impinging upon the stimulable phosphor sheet, and therefore contrast of the radiation image of the object is capable of being enhanced. However, in such cases, fine stripe-like grid patterns are recorded on the stimulable phosphor sheet together with the object image.
In order for the grid patterns to be prevented from being recorded on the stimulable phosphor sheet, a radiation image read-out apparatus has been proposed, wherein the radiation image is recorded while a grid is being quickly moved reciprocally. However, the proposed radiation image read-out apparatus has the drawbacks in that, a driving device for moving the grid must be provided, the size of the apparatus cannot be kept small, and the cost of the apparatus cannot be kept low.
Accordingly, a technique has been proposed, wherein a stationary grid is utilized as the grid, a read-out image signal having been obtained by reading out the radiation image is subjected to filtering processing, and the grid patterns having been recorded on the stimulable phosphor sheet together with the object image, are thereby removed or suppressed. An example of the filtering processing described above is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 3(1991)-114039.
It is considered that the filtering processing described above is also applicable to an image signal, which has been obtained from the radiation image read-out apparatuses utilizing the line sensors, and the desired effects can thereby be obtained. However, actually, the grid patterns cannot always be removed or suppressed appropriately.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a radiation image read-out method, wherein a line sensor is utilized, and a radiation image is capable of being read out from a stimulable phosphor sheet, on which the radiation image has been stored with an image recording operation utilizing a stationary grid, such that grid patterns are capable of being removed or suppressed appropriately.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for carrying out the radiation image read-out method.
The present invention provides a radiation image read-out method, comprising the steps of:
i) linearly irradiating stimulating rays onto an area of a stimulable phosphor sheet, on which a radiation image has been stored with an image recording operation utilizing a stationary grid, with stimulating ray irradiating means, the stimulating rays causing the stimulable phosphor sheet to emit light in proportion to an amount of energy stored thereon during its exposure to radiation,
ii) receiving light, which is emitted by the stimulable phosphor sheet, with a line sensor comprising a plurality of photoelectric conversion devices, which are arrayed along the linear area of the stimulable phosphor sheet exposed to the linear stimulating rays, the received light being subjected to photoelectric conversion performed by the line sensor, and
iii) moving the stimulable phosphor sheet with respect to the stimulating ray irradiating means and the line sensor and in a sub-scanning direction intersecting with a length direction of the linear area of the stimulable phosphor sheet exposed to the linear stimulating rays,
wherein a reciprocal of an array pitch of the photoelectric conversion devices constituting the line sensor is larger than a value two times as large as a value of a spatial frequency of stripe-like grid patterns recorded on the stimulable phosphor sheet due to the stationary grid, which spatial frequency is taken with respect to an array direction of the photoelectric conversion devices,
the line sensor is located in an orientation, such that the array direction of the photoelectric conversion devices coincides with an array direction of the stripe-like grid patterns, in which array direction the stripe-like grid patterns stand side by side, and
filtering processing for removing the stripe-like grid patterns is performed on an image signal, which has been outputted from the line sensor.
In the radiation image read-out method in accordance with the present invention, transform processing for coarsening a pixel density should preferably be performed on a filtering-processed image signal, which has been obtained from the filtering processing.
Also, in the radiation image read-out method in accordance with the present invention, the line sensor should preferably be a CCD line sensor.
As will be understood from the specification, it should be noted that the term moving a stimulable phosphor sheet with respect to stimulating ray irradiating means and a line sensor as used herein means movement of the stimulable phosphor sheet relative to the stimulating ray irradiating means and the line sensor, and embraces the cases wherein the stimulable phosphor sheet is moved while the stimulating ray irradiating means and the line sensor are kept stationary, the cases wherein the stimulating ray irradiating means and the line sensor are moved while the stimulable phosphor sheet is kept stationary, and the cases wherein both the stimulable phosphor sheet and the stimulating ray irradiating means and the line sensor are moved. In cases where the stimulating ray irradiating means and the line sensor are moved, they should be moved together with each other.
The present invention also provides an apparatus for carrying out the radiation image read-out method in accordance with the present invention. Specifically, the present invention also provides a radiation image read-out apparatus, comprising:
i) stimulating ray irradiating means for linearly irradiating stimulating rays onto an area of a stimulable phosphor sheet, on which a radiation image has been stored with an image recording operation utilizing a stationary grid, the stimulating rays causing the stimulable phosphor sheet to emit light in proportion to an amount of energy stored thereon during its exposure to radiation,
ii) a line sensor comprising a plurality of photoelectric conversion devices, which are arrayed along the linear area of the stimulable phosphor sheet exposed to the linear stimulating rays, and
iii) sub-scanning means for moving the stimulable phosphor sheet with respect to the stimulating ray irradiating means and the line sensor and in a sub-scanning direction intersecting with a length direction of the linear area of the stimulable phosphor sheet exposed to the linear stimulating rays,
wherein a reciprocal of an array pitch of the photoelectric conversion devices constituting the line sensor is larger than a value two times as large as a value of a spatial frequency of stripe-like grid patterns recorded on the stimulable phosphor sheet due to the stationary grid, which spatial frequency is taken with respect to an array direction of the photoelectric conversion devices,
the line sensor is located in an orientation, such that the array direction of the photoelectric conversion devices coincides with an array direction of the stripe-like grid patterns, in which array direction the stripe-like grid patterns stand side by side, and
the apparatus further comprises filtering means for performing filtering processing for removing the stripe-like grid patterns on an image signal, which has been outputted from the line sensor.
The radiation image read-out apparatus in accordance with the present invention should preferably further comprise means for performing transform processing for coarsening a pixel density on a filtering-processed image signal, which has been outputted from the filtering means.
Also, in the radiation image read-out apparatus in accordance with the present invention, the line sensor should preferably he a CCD line sensor.
The effects of the radiation image read-out method and apparatus in accordance with the present invention will be described hereinbelow.
Heretofore, the problems often occurred in that, in cases where filtering processing is performed on an image signal, which has been obtained from a radiation image readout apparatus utilizing a line sensor, grid patterns cannot be removed or suppressed appropriately. The inventors conducted extensive research and found that the problems described above occur due to the reasons described below.
Specifically, ordinarily, the pixel size required of the radiation image, which is utilized for medical diagnosis, clinical study, or the like, falls within the range of approximately 100 xcexcm to approximately 200 xcexcm. Also, ordinarily, even if the pixel size is set to be smaller than the range described above, significant effects on diagnostic performance of the radiation image cannot be obtained. Therefore, in most of the radiation image read-out apparatuses utilizing a line sensor, a line sensor in which the array pitch of the photoelectric conversion devices falls within the range of approximately 100 xcexcm to approximately 200 xcexcm has been employed. In such cases, the sampling interval on the stimulable phosphor sheet falls within the range of approximately 100 xcexcm to approximately 200 xcexcm (the spatial frequency of sampling falls within the range of approximately 5 cycles/mm to approximately 10 cycles/mm). As derived from the Nyquist""s theorem, in cases where the sampling interval falls within the range described above, an image in which the spatial frequency falls within the range of at most 5 cycles/mm to at most 10 cycles/mm is capable of being read out accurately and reproduced.
However, ordinarily, the array pitch of the radiation absorbing members of the stationary grid falls within the range of approximately 3.4 grid members per/mm to approximately 6 grid members per/mm. Also, ordinarily, the stationary grid is located close to the stimulable phosphor sheet. Therefore, the spatial frequency of the stripe-like grid patterns recorded on the stimulable phosphor sheet also falls within the range of approximately 3.4 cycles/mm to 6 cycles/mm. More specifically, in such cases, the spatial frequency of the grid patterns becomes higher than the range of 2.5 to 5 cycles/mm described above, and it often occurs that the grid patterns cannot be read out accurately. In such cases, even if the filtering processing described above is performed, the grid patterns cannot be removed or suppressed appropriately.
With the radiation image read-out method and apparatus in accordance with the present invention, the line sensor is formed, such that the reciprocal of the array pitch of the photoelectric conversion devices constituting the line sensor (i.e., the spatial frequency of the sampling) is larger than the value two times as large as the value of the spatial frequency of stripe-like grid patterns recorded on the stimulable phosphor sheet due to the stationary grid, which spatial frequency is taken with respect to the array direction of the photoelectric conversion devices. Therefore, as derived from the Nyquist""s theorem, the grid patterns are capable of being read out accurately. Accordingly, in cases where the filtering processing described above is performed on the image signal, which has been outputted from the line sensor, the grid patterns are capable of being removed or suppressed appropriately.
If the line sensor, in which the reciprocal of the array pitch of the photoelectric conversion devices is comparatively large (i.e., the array pitch of the photoelectric conversion devices is comparatively small), is employed, and the read-out image is divided into pixels in units of the photoelectric conversion device, it may occur that the pixel size in the read-out image becomes markedly smaller than the range of approximately 100 xcexcm to approximately 200 xcexcm, which range is required for practical use. The markedly small pixel size in the read-out image is surplus quality and becomes a heavy burden to image processing, image signal management, and the like, which will be performed later. Therefore, with the radiation image read-out method and apparatus in accordance with the present invention, the transform processing for coarsening the pixel density (i.e., for setting the pixel size to be large) may be performed on the filtering-processed image signal, which has been obtained from the filtering processing. In such cases, the problems described above are capable of being eliminated.